T’puram: The newly appointed Crime Branch special team probing the death of dental student Nithin Raj on Saturday visited his family’s house at Uzhamalackal in Thiruvananthapuram and recorded statements from his parents and other relatives.The four-member team led by Crime Branch DSP Jeevan George was constituted after Nithin’s family raised serious concerns over the initial investigation and allegations of mental harassment and caste abuse at Anjarakandy Dental College.“The recording of statements of the parents and other family members is part of the normal procedures of the new investigation team,” George said.Nithin, a first-year BDS student at Anjarakandy Dental College, died on April 10 after falling from a college building. The initial investigation treated the death as suicide. However, his family and classmates alleged that he had faced mental harassment, humiliation and caste-based abuse by college staff, prompting a wider probe.College professor Dr M K Ram, the first accused in the case, was arrested in Kodagu, Karnataka, on July 20. The arrest followed the Supreme Court’s rejection of his anticipatory bail plea on July 13.The special team will examine the circumstances leading to Nithin’s death, including allegations of mental harassment and caste abuse, the conduct of teachers, his mental state before his death and the events at the college.The family had earlier alleged that the investigation was being conducted in a manner favourable to the accused and had approached the chief minister seeking a comprehensive probe.
